Electric regulator.



N0. 891 ,14? PATENTHD AUG. 25, I908. T. M. PUSEY. ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1907.

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I W E I I I Q I'I I I' I I IIIIII' I II IIIII THOMAS M. PUSEY, OFKENNETT SQUARE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908.

Application filed November 21, 1907. SerialNo. 403,179.

To all 11171 om it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'lnoMAs M. PUSEY, a citizen ol the United States,and a resident of Kennett Square, in the county of Chester and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Electric Regulator, of

which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description.

My invention relates to electric regulators of the kind used forautomatically regulating the voltage and amperage of currents employedfor various commercial purposes.

My invention further relates to certain details of construction and therelative arran gemcnt of the various parts, whereby the elliciency ofthe apparatus is greatly increased and the mechanism greatly simplified.

Reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings forminga part of thiss pecification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, parts being in section, showing theregulator complete, including the liquid resistance, the solenoid andrelay associated therewith, and the various transformers, stationaryresistances, adjustable resistances, alternating generator, exciter forthe same, and various electric com'iections; and Fig. 2 is a sectionthrough the liquid resistance and balanced beam and solenoid forcontrolling the same, this view showing how variations in one of thecurrents control the How of electricity to connections leading to thefield of the cxciter.

A rocking beam is shown at 3 and is mounted upon a pin'4, and this beamis proided with a threaded stem 5 upon which is mounted a revolubleweight 6. By turning this weight the center of gravity of the beam maybe moved. to the right or left, so as to cause the beam to normallyoccupy a predetermined position.

Mounted upon the beam 3 is a stem 7 from which hangs a plunger 8 of adash pot 9, the purpose of the dash pot being to prevent undue andsudden movements of the beam. A clevis 1() depends from the beam 3 andis engaged by a hook 11, the latter supporting an arn'iature- 12 havingthe form of a swinging core, and encircling this core is a splenoid 13.A containing vessel 14 is provided internally with a lining 15 ofinsulating material. The vessel contains a quantity 16 of oil heavierthan water, such, for instance, as

] shown at 42.

oil of birch or oil of Wintergreen. Above this oil 16 is a volume ofacidulated water 17, and resting upon this water is a quantity 18 of oillighter then Water, the oils 16 and 18 being insulating in character.Tubes 19 V are mounted within the vessel 14, and serve to promote acirculation of air in close proximity to the liquids, for the purpose ofkeeping them cool during the passage of electricity through the water.

A wire 20 is mounted upon the stem 5 and is bent downwardly, and thiswire extends through a tube 21 of insulating material. A spiral 22 ofplatinum is mounted upon the lower end of the wire 20, and projects upwardly therefrom, as indicated in Fig. 2, and this spiral of platinum isheld firmly in position by braces 28, also of platinum, and is providedwith a pointed end 24, which normally extends upwardly from the heavyoil 16 into the water 17. A plate 25 of platinum is mounted within thewater 17.

The other containing vessel 26 is provided with a lining 27 ofinsulating material, and mounted within this vessel are ventilationtubes 28. A quantity'of acidulated water 29 is contained within thisvessel, and resting upon this water is a quantity of oil 80, the oilhaving insulating qualities. A plate 31 of insulating material, ismounted centrally within the bottom of the vessel 26, and supporteduponthis plate of insulating material is a plate 32 of platinum. A platimunspiral 33, is provided with a downwardly projecting point 34.. Thisplatinum spiral has substantially the same general construction as theplatinum spiral 22 above described, but occupies a so-called invertedposition relatively to the same.

A thick Wire 35 supports the spiral 33 andmay be of platinum or othermaterial not easily corroded. The magnet relay 36, see Fig. 1, isprovided with a rocking armature 37, which is retracted by a spring 36.The armature 37 opens and closes a spring cone ct 39, when the magnet 36is energized and dcenergized.

A primary winding 40 and a secondary winding 41, together constitute astep-down transformer, and a constant resistance is At 43 is analternating current generator, which is provided with brushes 44 and 45,which communicate with mains 46, 47, through which the main alternatingcurrent is supplied to any point or points which may be desired.Connected with the primary winding 41) is a wire 43, and from the lattera wire 4!) leads to the. brush 4-5. JLwire St) is also connected withthe primary winding 40, and a wire 5] connects the wire with the brushH. Wires 5 53, are connected with the secomlary Krimliug 41.; A wire 54is connected with the wire 52 and leads to a mnnber otincandescent lampsand connected with the latter is a wire 56. A wire 57 is connected withthe wires 53 and 5b. and is connected with'tlie constant resistance 4'2.A wire 53 connects this resistance with the solenoid 13. A wire 59 isconnected with the relay magnet :se and also with the wire 52, andleading from the magnet relay 36 to the solenoid 13 is a wire (it). Thefield winding of the generator 43 is shown at (51, and from this fieldwinding a wire (52 leads to an arm 63, upon the rheostat winding (34,and from this rheostat winding a wire leads to a brush 66 of an exciter67. The field winding of the exciter is shown at 71 and is connected thewire 31 being connected with the platinum plate 25 in the vessel 14, andthe wire.

82 leading to platinum plate 32 in the vessel 26. The platinum spirals22 and 33 may be used together, as shown, or either of them may bediscarded, the action not being matcrially diil'erent whether one orboth be employed. v hen the beam 3 isrocked n a clockwise directionaccorclin to Fi s. 1 and 2 the Y H h 1 point 24 is raised further intothe acidula ted water 17, and consequently out of the heavy oil 16, andthis exposes more ofthe point 24 to the action ofthe acidulated Water.When this occurs, if the platinum spiral 33 is in posit-ion, the point34 thereof dips more deeply. into the acidulated Water 29, and thusdiminishes the-resistance between the platinum spirall33'and the waterbelow it. hen,.therefore, the rocking beam 3 1s turned in acounterclockwisedirection, according to the views shown, the ohnnereslstance of" the path from the platlnum spirals 22, 33, or either ofthem, through the acidulated water associated With them, is increased.

The operation of my device is as follows: The parts being in properposition and ad j usted, we will say that the generator 43 and theexciter 67 are. in action. Alternating current from the generator 43flows through the citer 67 and the generator 43.

mains 46, 47, and is used up in the ilI'(lill:ll' manncit The primarytransl'ornmr winding 40, being in parallel with thc main current,isencrgizcd through the l'ollowing circuit:

ge.i1eratoi"-l3, brush ll, wirc Si. wire Till, primary winding ill, wirel3. wire 11!, brush "45, back to the generator 43.

The primary winding 40 acts inductively upon the secondary winding ll,thereby completing a circuit through the incaiulescenl lamps 35 as'l'ollows: secondary winding ll, wire :32, wire 54, lamps 5:). wire 5b,wire 53, back to the secondary winding 41. A shuntcircuit is alsocompleted .as l'ollows: wire 52. wire 59, magnet 36, wire (it), solenoid13. wire constant resistance 42, wire 57, and wire 53, back to thesecondary winding 41. This energizes both the relay magnet 36 and thesolenoid 13. In energizing the solenoid II; the core 12 is raisedslightly, thereby causing the beam 3 to turn slightly in acounterclockwise direction. The weight (3 is now adjusted ii itsadjustment be necessary, so as to hold the beam in proper position forthe voltage and load to be normally employed. The magnet relay 36 beingnormally energized, the l'ollowing circuit is completed: exciter 67,brush 63, wire 72, wire 74, wire 84, spring contact 39, armature 37,wire 33, beam 3, wires 20, 35, platinum spirals 22, 33, acidulatcd water17 and 3t), platinum plates 25 and 32, wires 81 and 32, to wire St),thence through wire 7.), field winding 71, and brush 66 back to theexciter or. it will be noted that the circuit through the spring contact3t) divides and passes through the two vessels 14 and 26. If, however,either ol' the platinum spirals 22 or 33 be removed, the entire currentwill pass through one vessel.

The switch arm 63 may beturned at will so as to regulate the currentthrough the ex- So long as the voltage, and consequently the current forWhichthe system is adapted and adjusted, is maintained, not-hing unusualhappens. Suppose that for some reason the voltage. in the alternatingcurrent from the generator -13 should happen to rise. The primarywinding 40, acting more energetically upon the secondary winding 4],increases the flow of alternating current through the secondary winding,and through the lamps 55. This, however, is not all that occurs. Thesolenoid 13 pulls more energetically upon its core 12, thus raising thelatter and causing the beam 3 to turn slightly in a counterelockwisedirection, as above described. This raises the platinum spiral 33 andlowers the platinum spiral 22, in both instances increasing theresistance oil'ered to the llow of current through the vessels 14 and26. T he'result is that the field 71 of the exciter receives lesscurrent than before, and consequently the current generated by theexeitcr and supplied thereby to the field winding (S1 of the alternatinggenerator 43, is curtailed correspondingly. llence, the generator 43,having its field correspondingly weakened, generates less current thanbefore, for the reason that its voltage is reduced. Suppose, on theother hand. that for some reason, the voltage generated by the generator43 should happen to decrease, owing to some change made in the state ofmains 4e, 47, or apparatus connected therewith. The reduction in voltagein the primary winding causes it to act less energetically than beforeupon the secondary winding 41, and consequently the solenoid 13 receivesless current than before. Its pull upon the core 12 is thereforeweakened, and the beam 3 turned slightly in a clockwise direction. Thissubmerges more of the platinum spiral 53 in the acidulated water 29 andraises a larger proportion of the platinum spiral 22 from the heavy oil16, the result being that more current can now find its way through thevessels 1.4, 26 and the action of the field winding 7] iscorrespondingly increased in degree. Ilence, the exciter 67 suppliesmore current to the field winding 61 of the generator and the latterincreases its action. The system is thus self-regulating, when onceadjusted, and admits of a wide range of adjustment My purpose in havingthe contact 39 as a spring contact, is to prevent the opening of thecontact by the I act that current through the magnet is alternated. Thatis to say,

the current being alternating, it does not ilow constantly and duringthe period when the magnet 36 is dead momentarily I do not wish thecontact to be open.

Suppose, now, that the voltage produced by the generator 43 drops downin degree to such an extent that the magnet 36 is no longer energized.The spring contact 39 is thus opened and the circuit through the fieldwinding 71 of the exeiter is thus broken. This stops the action of theeXciter and con- While I prefer to move the beam 3 by aid of thesolenoid 13 and core 12, it will be understood that I do not limitmyself to this arrangement as any other magnetic mechan ism may beemployed for this purpose. Neither do I limit myself tothe use of a magnet of the form shown at 36 for the purpose of controlling the mmtact3t); nor do I limit myself to the particular arrangement of the severalparts, as various changes may be made therein without. departing from.the spirit of my invention.

My invention may be used for regulating direct current generators andstorage batteries, as well as alternating current generators.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In an electric regulator, the combination of an insulating liquid, aconducting liquid lighter than said insulating liquid and restingthereupon, a conducting member disposed within said insulating liquidand hav ing a portion projecting into said conducting liquid, and meanscontrollable by an electric current for raising said member ofconducting material so to expose a larger surface thereof to saidconducting liquid.

2. In an electric. regulator, the combination of a heavy insulatingliquid,"a lighter conducting liquid resting thereupon, a vessel forcontaining said liquids, a conducting member normally submerged withinsaid heavy liquid, and means controllable by an electric current forraising said conducting member.

3. In a current regulator, the combination of a containing vessel, aninsulating liquid disposed therein, a conducting liquid disosed thereinand in eontact with said insulilting liquid, means for sending a currentthrough said conducting liquid, and a movable electrode locatedpartially within said conducting liquid and extending into saidinsulating liquid.

4. A current regulator, comprising an insulating liquid, a conductingliquid, a spiral of conducting material provided with a point projectingtherefrom, and means controllable by an electric current for varying theposition of said spiral of conducting material relatively to both ofsaid liquids.

5. In a current regulator, the combination of a relay provided with acontact, a generator provided with comiections for energizing saidrelay, an exciter, connections from said sequently the electric actionof the generator? contact to said exciter for the purpose of enablingsaid relay to control said exeiter, and mechanism connected with saidgenerator and controllable by currents therefrom for varying the flow ofcurrent through said. contact to the field of said exciter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' THOMAS M. ll SlCY.

l/Vitnesses:

n 0. Wat/run, I). M. Srnxcnu.

